


12 Days

by SevenCandlesticks



Category: PRISTIN (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Christmas, Friendship, Gen, Gift Giving, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Silly, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28063242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCandlesticks/pseuds/SevenCandlesticks
Summary: On every day 'till Christmas, Minghao shall receive.......a strange visit daily.
Relationships: Xu Ming Hao | The8 & Zhou Jie Qiong | Kyulkyung
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelesteFitzgerald](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteFitzgerald/gifts).



It was the 14th of December.

Minghao received a knock on the door.

“Who could that be?” he wondered.

Getting off the couch, he strolled over to the door, immediately greeted by a cold chill from winter's fury that raged outside. Standing before him was Jieqiong, wrapped in the thickest jacket possible.

“ _On the first day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

He was taken aback by Jieqiong oddly breaking into song like that, especially since the cheery tune did not match her deadpan face.

“ _...a tiny, little Christmas tree.”_

Indeed, there was a little ceramic Christmas tree standing in Jieqiong's cupped hands, which she presented to her friend.

“Uhhh.... thanks.” Minghao said, taking the tree into his own cupped hands.

Jieqiong said nothing after that and immediately left.

Minghao wasn't sure whether to feel touched or disturbed by the whole incident.


	2. Day 2

It was the 15th of December.

Snow gently fell outside, frosting the window panes. Not that Minghao would know, since he shut all the curtains in his house, not wanting to be bothered to remember all the freezing lumps of ice he had to shovel later.

Then there was a knock at the door.

“What the?”

Emerging from his couch, he strolled over to answer it, only to find the same warmly dressed Jieqiong from the day before.

“ _On the 2_ _nd_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

She lifted her cupped hands, outstretching her arms.

“ _...a shaving kit he doesn't need.”_

“Okay....” Minghao took the small box of shaving material he was told he didn't need, wondering why she even bothered in the first place. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You're welcome.”

She shut the door for him and walked off.

All Minghao felt at that moment was confusion.


	3. Day 3

It was the 16th of December.

A blizzard was raging outside.

This time, the doorbell rang.

Rolling his eyes, he mumbled to himself as he went to get the door, the ends of his blanket dragging on the floor.

Despite being warmly dressed, Jieqiong was clearly shivering, and her hair was covered in snowflakes.

“Jieqiong, what the heck--”

“ _On the 3_ _rd_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

She quickly outstretched her arm that gripped the handle of a bag.

“ _...a bag full of scented candles.”_

“Why would I need scented candles?”

“To make your house smell better. And in case the power goes out.”

“My house doesn't smell ba—HEY! GET BACK HERE!”

Jieqiong already turned her back, marching through the snow and nearly getting knocked down by the wind.

By the time she was out of sight, the power had gone out.


	4. Day 4

It was the 17th of December.

The clouds made it eerily dark outside and there was a foot of snow piling the ground.

“Shoot, it was Jieqiong's birthday yesterday.” Minghao grabbed at his hair in frustration. “Should've texted her—no, I should've made sure she stayed here until the blizzard passes!”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

Nearly stumbling over his own feet, Minghao ran for the door, ripping it open to see the same warmly dressed Jieqiong wearing her usual deadpan expression.

“Jieqiong, I'm sorry I forgot about your—“

“ _On the 4_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

A plate of cake was presented to him.

“ _...a slice from yesterday's feast.”_

“There's still a candle on it.” Minghao said when he took the plate.

“Yeah. You can have my wish.”

“Wait, what—“

Jieqiong already turned around and ran off.

Okay, why did she have to run away?


	5. Day 5

It was the 18th day of December.

By this point, Minghao already knew what to expect. Unfortunately, he had no way of telling _when_ she'd appear, only that she _will_ appear.

_Knock knock knock._

And today, that would be 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

Swinging the door opened, he was greeted by a familiar tune by a certain deadpan individual dressed in a very thick pink coat.

“ _On the 5_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

Yet another plate was presented, a much BIGGER plate.

“ _....a plate of gingerbread cookies.”_

“Wow...” he looked down at it in amazement. “So, you made these?”

“No, I bought them.”

“Oh.”

“Enjoy!” she waved, then she ran off again.

“Hold up....!”

She was already out of sight.

Minghao sighed.


	6. Day 6

It was the 19th of December.

Minghao had his back leaned against the front door as he played dumb app games on his phone, waiting for the inevitable knock. All of his texts to Jieqiong begging for answers to this weird Christmas routine were left unanswered. Perhaps she'll explain by the end of it?

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with notification.

[ Jieqiong ]: Open the door.

“Huh?”

He did just that.

“ _On the 6_ _th_ _day of--” AHHCHOO! “--Christmas, Minghao had received...”_

She kicked a large package his way.

“ _...for Kermit, a box of clothing.”_

“Why?”

“Because he's naked.”

“Frogs don't need clothes.”

“They do in this weather.”

Minghao decided it was pointless to argue and left it at that. “Anyway, you seem to be catching a cold, why don't you come insi—“

Jieqiong had already disappeared.


	7. Day 7

It was the 20th of December.

Minghao figured to make use of yesterday's gift by dressing his Kermit plush in Christmas attire (okay, it was only a santa hat).

_Ding-dong!_

Setting the plush next to the little ceramic, he expectantly answered the door, only to find—

“Hey, what's up, buddy!”

Junhui.

Sighing, Minghao just slammed the door in his face.

“Uh hey!! Minghao!!! HEY!!!”

Despite all the desperate banging, Minghao ignored him.

A buzz of notification sounded.

[ Junhui ]: Dude, that's messed up!

Okay, he couldn't argue with that, so he quickly replied.

[ Minghao ]: I told you I'd be busy all throughout Christmas.

[ Junhui ]: Yeah, I know, but it seems suspicious, you know? You don't have a secret girlfriend or something, do you?

Rolling his eyes, he typed a capital “NO” and plugged his phone into the charger.

_Knock knock knock._

“Ugh, just give it up, man...”

Angrily, Minghao ripped open the door, only to nearly jump backward at the sight of a stuffed up Jieqiong—no, literally stuffed up—she had tissues up her nose.

“ _On the 7_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received—“_

She handed him a bottle of vitamins.

“ _...a month's worth of Vitamin C.”_

Minghao nearly stumbled upon his words. “Ngh...don't... don't YOU need this?”

“No.” she sniffled, sounded congested. “You need it more.”

“I don't think so.”

“Yeah, ya do. Don't want you getting sick.”

“You mean like you have?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, but could you at least come inside to warm up?”

“Nah.”

And she, once again, walked away.

Before Minghao could even try to comprehend this incident, an eavesdropping Junhui jumped out of the bushes. “YOU'RE KIDDING ME. YOU AND JIEQIONG HAVE A THING GOING ON?!”

“Dude, off my property, NOW!”

“What did she give you?! Let me see it!” Junhui ripped the bottle out of Minghao's hand, only to be severely confused. “Huh?!”

“If you were _properly_ eavesdropping,” Minghao yanked the bottle back. “You would've known that.”

“Why would a girl give a guy vitamin C?”

“Any concerned friend would.”

“I wouldn't.”

“That's because you suck.”

“Yeah, I guess it was kinda rude of me to hide out in the bushes...”

“You _guess?”_


	8. Day 8

It was the 21st of December.

Minghao ignored all of Junhui's texts. Half of them were nosy and the other half was begging for his forgiveness. Minghao would answer eventually, just not today. He wasn't appreciative of yesterday's creepy spy mission.

_Knock knock knock._

And here comes to the source of all his troubles.

“Yeah?”

Before Minghao could react to Kyla standing in he place of Jieqiong, _she_ began singing--

“ _On the 8_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

She presented him an envelope.

“ _...a letter of apology.”_

Taking the envelope, Minghao slit the top with a box cutter he conveniently had in his hand and read the folded slip of paper it contained.

_Dear Minghao,_

_Was feeling under the weather. Sorry._

_Instead, here's a stick figure doodle of us having a snowball fight._

That was supposed to be a snowball fight?

“Well, I better get going. Merry Christmas!”

Kyla waved goodbye and went on her merry little way. Minghao limply raised his hand, wishing her the same before going back inside.

At least Kyla had the decency to tell him she'd be leaving.


	9. Day 9

It was the 22nd of December.

Minghao finally responded to Junhui's wall of text messages, forgiving him, but also giving a stern warning that if he stakes out his property again—he won't hesitate to call the cops.

As he prepared breakfast for himself, he almost didn't hear the knock at the door this time. What was usually a monotone pattern became fast and angry, brimming with impatience, so Minghao quickly opened the door.

Jieqiong now donned a candy cane patterned scarf with her ensemble as well as a medical grade face mask to cover her coughing.

“ _On the 9th day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

She pulled a card from her jacket pocket.

“ _...a gift card to Macy's.”_

“I don't even shop at Macy's.”

“Neither do I. So I passed it onto you.”

Jieqiong was obviously running out of ideas.


	10. Day 10

It was the 23rd of December.

Minghao was still in bed, wrapped in 3 layers of blanket, so he missed the knock. He had gotten concerned, after waking up, that Jieqiong wasn't showing up. It had become such an expectant routine that he was now a little worried. Not even Kyla showed to bring a gift in her place.

Finally, he decided to check if anything was left on his porch, and lo and behold, a package with... a phone on top?

A note was stuck to the screen.

_Watch the video._

Minghao did just that. It was a self recorded video of Jieqiong on Minghao's porch, singing.

“ _On the 10_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received—a big, empty stocking.”_

Yeah, that's exactly what it was. Only she failed to mention she had poorly spelled his name with glitter glue on it.

It wasn't entirely empty though, there was a _note_ inside.

_Please return my phone tomorrow._

She really just left her phone out here?!


	11. Day 11

It was the 24th of December.

Minghao had no plans for Christmas Eve, except maybe watch _Home Alone_ that was currently airing on television.

As the sun set and everyone's Christmas lights illuminated the street, a knock was at his door. With phone in hand, Minghao went to answer it.

“ _On the 11_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--”_

Jieqiong shoved what looked like a colorful unicorn plush.

“ _...a My Little Pony.”_

Minghao immediately dropped it. “No.”

“What? It was on sale!”

“Still no.”

“And it has candy inside!”

Minghao immediately picked it back up.

“Merry Christmas. See you tomorrow!”

And then she left.

Well, at least she properly excused herself this time.


	12. Day 12

It was the 25th of December, Christmas Day.

The morning was very quiet. A bright blue sky, biting cold air, a visible sun, but still lots of snow to shovel.

Minghao gazed at the small, ceramic tree that stood on his breakfast counter—beside it, his Kermit plush with a santa hat, holding a very small present in red wrapping paper. Below it was a box of the other items (that weren't edible) he had received.

Whilst munching on the candies found inside that My Little Pony doll, the doorbell rang.

This was it. Last day.

Opening the door, Jieqiong (who seemed to have quickly recovered from her cold earlier) held a large unwrapped box.

“ _On the 12_ _th_ _day of Christmas, Minghao had received--_

_A pony full of candy,_

_A big, empty stocking,_

_50 bucks for Macy's,_

_Apology accepted,_

_Oranges made in pill form,_

_Shieldings for a frog's shame,_

_Store bought gingerbread men,_

_Your. Friend's Birthday. Wish!_

_Scented candles, useless shaving kit, a_

_small ceramic tree, and_

_a brand new coffee machine!”_

Jieqiong shoved the new appliance into Minghao's arms.

“Wow... I....”

“You're welcome.”

Before Jieqiong could walk away, Minghao grabbed her wrist. “Oh no, you're not getting away this time!”

“Careful. Junhui might get the wrong idea.”

“Huh?”

Hearing a panicked rustling in the bushes, Minghao quickly turned his head, only to see the imprint of boots leading away from said bushes.

Oh well, Minghao would get mad at him later. There were more important things. “Come inside.”

Removing her boots, Jieqiong did just that.

“Kermit has something for you.” he told her.

Eyes slightly widening, Jieqiong unwrapped the gift to find...

“My phone?”

“Yeah, I forgot to give it to you last night.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Check out the wallpaper.”

It was a picture of them last year having a snowball fight (Kyla had taken it).

She smirked. “Junhui is really gonna get the wrong idea.”

“That's his own fault.”

“Well, that's why _you_ have a new coffee machine and he doesn't.”


End file.
